"Frame-ing Yourself In"

Greetings Blog Readers.

This morning I took a drive over to Norway (the town in Maine, not the country) to get some stretcher bars for some paintings by my dear friend, JB, in San Francisco (more on that later...).

The scenic drive through the winding woods through Harrison to Norway was calming and peaceful (I waved to Joan Lunden as she pulled out of her garage----could have been her nanny, maybe...does the nanny drive a BMW?!) Anyway...the little framing store on the Main Street in Norway, Maine was quaint.

Two artists, one the owner of the store, and a man in his early 30's were speaking about the "price tag on art." I don't really think they had an answer how one painting could sell for $1 million, another at $80.00. Like art, however, value and price are subjective. Much of this, I believe, though, is created by internal forces first---not what the market may necessarily bear.

The curious case of innkeeping is much like what visual artists might do. Details, details, details.(Have you ever seen those "one splotch" paintings that sell for $500,000?! Gotta praise the artist, for sure!) The expression of creating an inn environment is complex. In its many years of evolution in lodging, it has gone from an "I have a room to rent" extra money maker to a viable segment for housing tourists. So, without the confining chains of corporate direction, innkeepers craft their inns, largely as an expression of the best guidance they have: themselves!

Intention is such an important tool in framing the way our lives, and businesses, evolve and serve. We impart our mental skills into the equation. Many, but not all, impart their spiritual strength into it as well. If your idea of running a business is "I just want to break even," your decision of lack surrounding that thought probably is limiting you from a great deal of abundance (not to mention the strain on your emotional well-being). Intending an "I want to be the best inn in _________(fill in the blank)" makes a statement that places you on an abundant road. You open yourself up to creativity, delight in its revealing itself to you, resources emerge where you thought none existed, etc. Yes, innkeeping, like life, is work, fun, and challenging. Why not label your passions and endeavors a "success?" Why not frame it in gold in your mind first?

"Act as if"..., I say. Act like a great innkeeper to your visitors. Act like a good friend to your personal relationships. Act like a "good citizen." Act like the things you have in your life are blessings. They all are! Set your bar higher and higher. Name it, then claim it!

Norman Vincent Peale's book "The Power of Positive Thinking" is applicable even today. Its application to life and business and art are perceptive. I read it at 21 years old. And, all this raises the pertinent question in the back of my mind: Will the macaroni art I did in camp be a valuable discovery in my Mother's attic one day? Hmmmmmmm...maybe......just maybe! ;-)

Have a great day (or whatever kind of day you choose for yourself....)! *wink*

Innkeeper Keith A. Neubert

Naples, Maine